I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them sertainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
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Chapter 25: The Heir of Slytherin, Part I - Taken Away
The two men sitting in armchairs in front of a lit fireplace at Malfoy Manor were enjoying a good sherry - the irony being that said sherry was bought from a non-magical specialty shop - while getting each other up to date about their respective activities aimed at changing magical society back into something they deemed as acceptable. If not for the sinister content of their conversation, it would have looked just like two men catching up with each other.
"And you are really sure that the Dark Lord is not involved at all in that business?" Mr. Nott asked, having listened closely, knowing he'd not been told everything.
"Absolutely, I do know that for sure. However, you do understand that I don't want to share too much information," Mr. Malfoy replied, clearly enjoying that he was the only one in the know about the matter at hand.
Nott leaned back, looking thoughtful. "You like keeping your cards close... Malfoy, does your wife actually know you have a more direct hand in that affair than simply knowing things?"
"Of course not. I love Narcissa dearly, but there are things she is better off not knowing. Good thing she right now is attending a meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Wizarding Culture," Malfoy replied before enjoying a bit of sherry. "She worries a bit too much about Draco at times, like her thinking he relies too much on me."
"That's something I wouldn't know about." Nott's relationship to his own son after all was cold and distant. "Still, I'm only surprised that the final phase of your plan has not started yet."
"Sadly, that's something out of my control. I have prepared and can enact the final phase as soon as another incident happens. I made sure the school can't keep the information away from me. That's the one thing Draco actually can do for me after I told him to keep out of it," Malfoy told Nott.
"How is he doing that?" Nott asked, wondering how Draco could contact his father so fast.
"Just a little enchantment on a small glass sphere I gave him. He breaks it and I know the time has come. I told him to not tell anyone," Malfoy explained how Draco would notify him.
Hearing this, Nott was truly impressed. "You thought of everything."
That meant something. Nott had been at the Dark Lord's side since his school days, having seen himself as one of his closest allies. The Dark Lord however had seen his deficiencies and instead had turned to Lucius Malfoy for one of his hands. Nott now again could see why that had been the case. Nott was not too proud to admit that Malfoy was better at scheming than he was.
"On the future. It will look wonderful," Malfoy suggested.
"Yes. Soon enough things will go our way and society will be cleansed," Nott agreed and their glasses clicked together.
-clang!-
Suddenly there was a crash coming from some distance outside the door, followed by a yelp of dismay. Malfoy sighed in annoyance when hearing it. "Excuse me for a moment, looks like I have to again discipline an elf for not doing his duties to my satisfaction. Recently he's been getting worse with each day; if this goes on I'll have to replace him."
"Yes, good staff is so hard to find in these days," Mr. Nott commented while Malfoy left to punish the elf in question.
...at the same time in London...
It also was due to the time of the year that it already was dark in London - though in the city it was not exactly noticeable due to the heavy light pollution in this city of millions. To most people the only sign it was getting dark was the streetlights turning on. Most of the office towers were empty by now, but in one light was coming out through some windows.
The men and women meeting at the big conference table would not have been out of place on the board of a big company or in a meeting of politicians and the whole setting also looked rather formal and business-like. They indeed were all working for the government, but their office was anything but public. There was some grumbling over inconvenient times for meeting while everyone sat down, putting their paperwork onto the table.
"I'm again sorry for the inconvenience of a meeting this late in the day, but the schedules of several people attending didn't allow for anything earlier," the man at the head of the table again apologized.
"Well, it wouldn't be so bad if not for the traffic in London," one man remarked, getting some nods of approval.
"Perhaps, but we should start now," the head man said. "Everyone here of course knows about the big elephant in the room, but let's get other business out of the way first. Those reports first, please."
There was some shuffling of papers, before a woman spoke up. "We did get an interesting report from our allies in France. Recently, they report that diplomatic messages between the magical governments of France and Britain have intensified a lot."
"Interesting, considering that normally the various governments don't talk that much to each other directly," a man commented. "What is it about?"
"No idea, since it's something going on at the highest level, meaning that both Ministers are involved. Neither we nor our French allies have any ear close to that level yet," trhe woman explained.
"Keep a close eye on the situation. Such secrecy at this governmental level normally doesn't bode well." The chairman then looked to a man to his left. "Concerning Fudge, what is the latest analysis?"
"His popularity has waned quite a bit, and that is not only due to recent events. Under his administration the rot in the Ministry has accelerated and is now starting to degrade its effectiveness enough that people are noticing. However, some of the laws that were enacted also factor into his lessened popularity," the man explained.
"What kind of laws are you talking about?" a woman further down the table asked.
"Two different kind of laws. The first kind clearly has the handwriting of Fudge's backer. They are small things that nonetheless advantage the pure-blood part of their society that's currently in power, which annoys numerous people. The second kind of law however is strange, since those look like someone entirely else is behind them," the man explained.
"Elaborate," the chairman asked.
"They are all laws aimed at making the lives of 'non-humans' as difficult as possible in magical society. Note that the term is used very loosely in that regard so that as many as possible fall under it. It started small, but whoever is behind it is getting more bold recently. Considering how many witches and wizards do have contact of some kind with what these laws see as non-human, it's not enhancing Fudge's popularity. This will all end badly for them."
No one at the table said anything, but the slim shape showing through the man's suit jacket showed he was carrying a wand around. He always was especially outspoken when it came to the politics of Magical Britain, and him having left it answered a lot of questions about why he was that way. After all, that society in some way must have disappointed him severely.
There however had to be more to it, as many had noted his strange charisma, how he could manage to get people around with relatively few words - not manipulate but really convince - and his generally unusually handsome looks. No one also commented on what looked like a few scales on the back of his right hand. He clearly was not fully human and that explained his look of disgust with those new laws.
"No wonder numerous people start getting displeased, considering their government is busy with creating racist laws to openly deprive parts of society of their rights," a woman to the man's left snorted.
"We'll come back to it at a later point. Now let's put our attention on the Hogwarts situation," the chairman said.
That finally addressed the elephant in the room and several people at the table were unhappy with what they knew about it. "I get that Hogwarts is the only big magical school on the British Isles, but it nonetheless is baffling they didn't close the school right after the first incident," a man finally brought everyone's thoughts to the point.
"You would think having a monster snake that can kill with a stare roaming around would be enough reason to evacuate the school instead of just trying to treat the symptoms," a woman commented with biting sarcasm.
"Well, considering we got hints there is some political tug-o-war going on behind the scenes between the Headmaster and the Board..." -brrrriiing- the man was stopped in his thoughts when the chairman's desk phone rang.
The chairman took off the receiver. "Hello? ... Oh... good evening Prime Minister Major, Sir!" That caused everyone's attention, wondering why the Prime Minister was calling at this time of the day. "Yes, we are in the middle of the meeting. ... Pardon me, but did I understand you correctly, Sir? ... You learned that from a source in the Ministry? ... Certainly, Sir. You do plan to confront the Minister by telling that portrait you need to speak with him? ... Very well, Sir. I will relay the information."
Hanging up the phone, the chairman looked up. "That was the Prime Minister. Less than an hour ago he got information from a source in the Ministry that Magical Britain is holding the finals of the Quidditch World Cup - something that was already set in place for two years now - in August 1994."
"You mean a massive sporting event that tens of thousands of wizards from all over the world will attend?" one woman asked and got a nod of confirmation. "And of course Fudge didn't bother tell the Prime Minister..."
"That's what he thought as well. He'll have a conversation with Fudge soon enough and make sure the whole thing will go over without any additional headaches," the chairman confirmed.
While business then continued, everyone wondered how the Ministry of Magic in their unwillingness to work with Downing Street was imagining to organize the whole thing without causing attention. They imagined some kind of half-baked solution which would have overworked Obliviators. No, the Prime Minister would tell Fudge that there are better solutions than something like that.
Everyone also could only shake their head at the Ministry thinking they could leave the non-magical government out of it, despite the fact that this would only ask for problems to crop up. Some people were too proud for their own good.
...evening of the next day, the Black home...
"And he still really doesn't mind? Most boys his age wouldn't be keen to play with children the age of the twins," Diane asked while pouring in the coffee into the cups.
"No, he actually adores these two. I think he also is curious if they do suffer a fit of accidental magic. Some of the previous incidents had been quite amusing after all," Veronica said, remembering the incidents in question.
Diane sighed. "For you maybe, but I had to call Sirius from work two times to fix the trouble they caused. Still worth it as long as it keep the Ministry out of our children's lives."
Several things had changed ever since the incident with Dobby, which had caused all three children to learn about magic. Thankfully, Mark had been quite understanding why he would have to keep they whole thing - and especially his own magic - secret. Finally learning what kind of school Harry was attending - and that in due time he would attend it as well - had opened the floodgates for many questions.
Steve and Kathleen on the other hand were problematic due to their young age of three years, which made it impossible to them to understand why they have to lie. While many adult would just dismiss anything these two babble, the risk always was there. They literally had to make it a game to ensure the twins would mostly stay silent about it. These two hellions however seemed to to take delight in each time accidental magic happened to them.
Being parents to magical children was never easy.
"As much as I like talking about our children, I think we are here because Remus wants to tell us a few news about Hogwarts," Sirius said, really wanting to hear what his friend wanted to tell them.
"I know it can't be that they actually found the culprit or the monster, or Harry would have told us for sure," Thomas guessed.
"No, though it's been surprisingly quiet ever since the last attack. Suspiciously so at that, if I may say so. Why did the heir all of a sudden decide to let off for two whole months? I honestly have a bad feeling about this," Remus admitted.
"I'm still baffled that the school wasn't simply closed and the students sent elsewhere, but then again you told me the true goal of the whole thing is aiming to discredit the Headmaster so they can install a conservative in his place," Diane sighed, still being in disbelief about this tangled knot.
"That's the problem. The smart and right thing would be to close the school temporarily. However, Hogwarts is the only big magical school on the British Isles; there otherwise are only some way too small private institutions and it's impossible to homeschool all students. That, and it's exactly what Malfoy is hoping for," Sirius said, also finding the situation messed up.
"What a horrible man," Veronica admitted. "No idea if he's directly behind it or is just in the know and feels that no crisis should go to waste."
Since all of them were planning on sending their children to Hogwarts in the future - and were planning for them to catch up in adult education after Hogwarts to get more than just a magical school degree - this attack on the integrity of the school, not to speak of the health of the students, really hit close to home. Even worse was that Harry and his friends were at the epicenter of all of it and they had a feeling something would happen sooner or later.
"As much as we want to, there is nothing we can do about it and Dumbledore is already doing everything to keep the students safe. So, what did you want to talk about, Remus?" Thomas finally asked, hoping they could get to the topic.
"Yes, this is about Gilderoy Lockhart," Remus finally revealed.
"Oh yes, that man," Diane said, looking quite angry. "I'm still surprised you two didn't pull Harry from school or demanded that man to be sacked immediately after what he did to Harry's arm."
"Trust me, we were very tempted and had a long discussion with the Headmaster," Veronica admitted, still thinking in anger at the incident. "We had to admit that pulling Harry from school would do more harm than good."
"And the Headmaster would have loved to fire Lockhart right then since he did have cause, but was afraid that doing so that early in the school year could make the curse do something horrible to Professor Snape instead," Thomas added, also not exactly happy with the situation, though he did understand Dumbledore's reasons.
"Well, that is no longer the case," Remus told them, seeing that it got their attention. "Dumbledore feels it now is safe to remove the man at this point of the school year and it should satisfy the curse."
"I know you, Moony. There's more behind that decision, right?" Sirius asked his friend.
"Much more. I did a little digging around and unearthed some things that don't at all fit with the image Lockhart likes to give himself. One thing alone wouldn't hurt him, but the number of things I gathered proof of would give him several years in Azkaban. Only too bad I couldn't check most of the things he claims in his books, because that's all highly suspicious, but I can't go globetrotting," Remus explained.
"At least you can disprove the stuff that is blatant crap, like him being able to fight a werewolf bare-handedly," Sirius threw in.
"Thanks for reminding me of that..." Remus growled. He was holding a grudge against Lockhart for those ludicious claims concerning his claimed confrontation with a werewolf. To Remus, that thing was a very personal insult.
"I still have to remind myself he only got the job because no one else wanted it," Thomas said, making no secret of his disdain of the man. "Someone like him has no place in teaching children."
"Well, perhaps you'll then be glad to hear that he essentially destroyed his reputation with all the students," Remus said, again getting the attention. "People like him live off the fact that they keep their audience at a distance and never appear in their lives for long. He violated that rule and constantly having him around opened the eyes of everyone at Hogwarts at how incompetent he truly is."
"Actually kind of funny, since I imagine he took the job as a publicity stunt," Sirius mused. "Good thing Defense is a joke anyway under the curse, so the damage is limited."
"The only thing I'm worried about is the fact, that Dumbledore probably won't find anyone next year, allowing the Ministry to get a foot into the door," Remus worried.
"MUM! DAD!"
That was Mark shouting from upstairs! The adults hasted up the stairs to the room where Mark was playing with the twins, only to be greeted with a bizarre sight once they opened the door.
The wallpapers in the room had turned into a weird mishmash of bright colors that almost made the eyes hurt when looking at them, Toy soldiers and dolls were marching around as if this was the most serious thing in the world and the twins themselves were floating above all of it, laughing the entire time. Mark watched the entire thing in disbelief.
"Mum, Dad, was I that difficult with my magic when I was younger?" Mark asked when seeing that the adults had arrived.
"No, you always were quite well-behaved. I have a feeling the twins will be more difficult," Veronica admitted, being very glad that Mark was such a well-behaved boy.
"All right... enough of this. Moony, help me out here," Sirius said while drawing his wand.
"Certainly, Padfoot," Remus agreed.
Together, both men quickly managed to undo all of the accidental magic - after Harry and Mark they had become really good at it - and soon enough Diane was being busy with telling her children to show a little more control, since they can't always do as they pleased. It perhaps was better to tell them now instead of once they were outside more often.
"Well, I guess things never get boring with your family. Is that why Diane and you want to wait a few years before aiming for more children?" Remus asked after everything was back to normal.
Sirius nodded. "It gives parents a whole new appreciation, doesn't it? Though perhaps not mine..."
"You better believe it," Diane said, being done with the twins. "No more additional children until the twins are in school for a while. I fear my nerves otherwise would be unable to stay intact with so many incidents."
"Oh, we hear you. We for our part want to wait until Mark is in magical preschool before aiming for another one," Thomas agreed.
Yes, being the parents of children with magic was not easy at all.
...February 18th, Hogwarts great hall...
Breakfast was nearing its end this day in the great hall and students were getting up to return to the guest building to get their school supplies before being escorted by their professors to their respective classes. By now things had become a - even if reluctant - routine and the new security measures were just something everyone did. After all, people could only live under a state of emergency for so long before it started to become the new normal.
There also was a small group slowly walking to the exit in the crowd, and they were talking.
"No, really, they are doing that," Dudley assured them, the conversation having developed by pure coincidence.
"So Parkinson is really leaving all her dirty underwear on the floor while Malfoy drops all kind of junk on the floor and doesn't borther about it?" Ginny asked, giggling the entire time when hearing the dirt on these two bullies.
"Oh yes, both of them are really messy. Guess they are used to maids always cleaning up for them," Dudley confirmed it.
"The poor elves that have to do that job..." Hermione remarked, again showing her bigger than normal interest in the species.
"Daphne and Millicent said I don't want to know the messes Parkinson created in their dorm's bathroom," Dudley added. If he was to be honest, he had no wish to know what goes on in a girls bathroom.
It was kind of weird how such things went. While Dudley certainly would not become a close friend anytime soon, they did have become comfortable enough around him that they exchanged dirt on the less likable students such as in this case Malfoy and Parkinson. After proving he would not backstab them, they did manage to relax around him. That was progress - enough that Harry was a bit amazed about it.
"It's still weird to me how we are like this now," Harry remarked.
"You're not alone..." Dudley agreed, also feeling it was weird.
Ron meanwhile took a look at the chaos and scramble around them. "I just hope things return to normal soon. And to imagine we have to thank him for all of this. Not to downplay the danger, but it becomes really annoying as well."
"It's really inconvenient, indeed; all thanks to Riddle," Luna added.
It took Dudley a few seconds, but then it hit him and he gasped. "Riddle? What do you mean...?"
"Oh, you don't know?" Luna asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Luna, remember that they kept his real name out of the news due to bias and irrational fear. There is no way he could know." She then looked to Dudley. "Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, but why do you ask?"
Dudley put two and two together and paled a bit. "Guys... After I told you everything I stumbled upon a book in a mud puddle. But... the book was perfectly fine when I pulled it out. On the first page was written that the book belongs to a T. M. Riddle!"
They realized the implications of this, especially if the book was in pristine condition despite being who-knows long in a mud puddle. "Where is that book now, Duds?" Harry asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling about it.
"It's in my trunk. I thought it was just some regular diary and nothing more. You think...?" Now Dudley got a bad feeling about all of this as well. The look they gave him made it clear they needed to secure this book, because regardless what it was, if it was connected to Voldemort it had to be something bad.
However, it was that moment when the flow of students suddenly came to a halt, students complaining that there were linecutters causing a huge chaos. It took several minutes before the chaos was resolved and they finally managed to get out of the castle. They got a bad feeling about all of this, waiting down in the entrance hall of the guest building while Dudley ran up to get the book so they could hand it over.
"Knowing our luck, something has already happened to the book," Neville commented, not even trying to hide how nervous an item belonging to Voldemort made him.
"Please don't tempt fate..." Ginny hissed, though she herself also got a bad feeling about this.
"He said it's a diary. How could Voldemort enchant a diary to make it actually dangerous?" Neville wondered.
Hermione gave him a look that screamed 'really?'. "Neville, you of all people should know enchanting an item can make it do any kind of thing. Just think about how all kind of junk is turned into portkeys. God only knows what kind of enchantment Voldemort put onto that book."
"Hopefully it's not like one of those books Dad talks about. He once told us of evil books that are enchanted to burn a reader's eyes out," Ron said, turning a bit paler. "All of a sudden a book enchanted by Voldemort sounds really scary."
Right then Dudley came back down the stairs... without a book. "No... don't tell us..." Ginny had an idea what that meant.
"It's gone! Someone broke open the cheap lock on my trunk by force and hastily searched through it, throwing stuff everywhere. Whoever it was, they took the book," Dudley told them.
"Someone has eavesdropped on our conversation and then was very hectical in removing the evidence," Luna concluded.
"But that was in the middle of a crowd of students, meaning... it was a student." Hermione now understood the implications. "I think we now need to tell the Headmaster as fast as possible."
Harry for a moment played with the idea of getting his communication mirror, but then realized Dumbledore could easily contact Sirius so early in the morning. "I've spotted McGonagall walking towards us. If we tell the truth, she should manage to get us to the Headmaster."
Harry was not keen on that conversation. They knew this would not be a fun conversation, but the situation all of a sudden had become quite dire. Regardless what that book was, since it belonged to Voldemort and was clearly magical, one had to expect the worst.
...office of the Headmaster, almost ten minutes later...
Both boys were rather uneasy being in the Headmaster's office, though due to different reasons.
Harry was uneasy due to the reason for his presence, while Dudley was more intimidated due to being in this office for the very first time. Dudley after all had made bad experiences in a headmaster office. McGonagall had believed them that it was urgent, but only allowed Harry and Dudley to come, sending the others to wait for their turn to be escorted to class later on.
"Mr. Dursley, you know that means I will be late to escort my class - the very class you would have been attending I might add - to Transfiguration. I hadn't even had the time to make a head-count," McGonagall said, having given orders for the second-year students in question to wait at the entrance gate.
"Sorry... but this is really important," Dudley apologized.
"That remains to be seen," Dumbledore said, really wanting to remark on the fact that Harry and Dudley were sitting side-by-side without any problem. "Please tell us what is going on in all details. I do have a feeling what this could be about after I was contacted by Sirius Black a few days ago about certain matters."
Looking at each other, they knew there was no way they could leave anything out.
He can be really scary when he gives you that serious look, Harry thought.
"You see, it was like this..." And then they did start to explain.
It started with Dudley overhearing Malfoy talking and then approaching Harry, since he could hardly go to the teachers with this. Harry explained how they did believe Dudley's story and in the end lent him the invisibility cloak to gain more information. Dudley told them of what he learned was going on in Slytherin and then finally how Malfoy Sr. was involved into the heir business. That alone already was interesting to both teachers, though Dumbledore already knew a lot of that through Sirius, and also said so.
"However, I feel there is more to this story and you have not yet come to the really important point," Dumbledore said.
"Yes, there is..." Dudley knew this would be most important. "After giving them my notebook, I walked by the edge of the forest, when I found a book in a mud puddle. However, when I pulled it out, the mud slid off , leaving it in pristine condition. It was a diary, bought in 1942... belonging to T. M. Riddle."
That felt like a highly unpleasant surprise to both teachers and McGonagall asked the important question. "Where is that book now, Mr. Dursley?"
"You see, I had no idea who that is, so I stored it in my trunk. I only learned this guy is Voldemort today right after breakfast... Too late, when I got to my room, my trunk was broken open and the book gone. It must have been a student, no one else could have heard us."
"But that means..." McGonagall didn't finish the thought.
"Yes, Minerva, that means there is a distinct possibility that this book, however it was enchanted by Voldemort, is in some way used to carry out his will, meaning that it is very likely that a student was used to that purpose," Dumbledore completed the thought. "It certainly would explain numerous things."
Harry was uneasy about the idea. "Sir, we got that idea as well. Is it actually possible that Voldemort could have enchanted a book in a way that it forces an innocent to do his bidding?"
"Harry, much is possible with magic, and sadly, subduing someone else's will to reduce them mere tools has been a a lure for too many wizards and witches. While the general public knows of the most powerful tool of that kind, I have no doubt that Tom has devised his own methods. Despite having been dark very early on, he after all still was a prodigy in magic," Dumbledore reminded Harry.
"This is not exactly reassuring, Sir," Harry reminded the Headmaster. "I think... urgh..."
"Mr. Potter, is something wrong?" McGonagall asked when seeing Harry grimace.
"I don't know..." Harry looked really confused. "It suddenly felt like I was being stabbed into the heart two times. I suddenly feel like something is very wrong."
Harry did not notice the silent interaction between both teachers. Both of them knew of the prophecy of the Chosen Six and had entertained certain theories about it, especially since by now they were pretty sure it concerned Harry and his five close friends. However, seeing Harry feeling a sudden discomfort out of nowhere - especially at his age - was concerning.
"Minerva, could you please check something for me?" Dumbledore finally asked McGonagall.
She understood what he meant. "Yes, I'll be back soon." That said, she left the Headmaster's office.
"Eh... what is this about?" Dudley asked, feeling a bit lost.
"If I'm correct, it will be a rather private matter, Mr. Dursley. I actually hope that my hunch is not correct, since if it is, then something rather bad has happened," Dumbledore answered cryptically.
Both boys had no idea what this was about and waited in silence. The minutes seemed to go by slowly, until suddenly the fireplace lit up with green fire and McGonagall walked right out of it. "Headmaster, the situation has become critical!"
Disturbed by that uncharacteristic panic of his Deputy, Dumbledore stood up. "Minerva, what happened?"
"Another attack happened... three students petrified and at least two students being taken into the chamber." McGonagall explained quickly. "There... was a message written with paint on the wall: 'Their skeletons will lie in the chamber forever'. Also... Mr. Potter... two of those petrified are your friends."
Harry felt like the floor had fallen out from under him.
...hospital wing, a little later...
The whole school was in uproar. News of the new attack had spread like wildfire and the severity of the newest attack had ignited panic in the students. It took the teachers everything to keep the situation under control, lest things would get even worse. Harry and Dudley had been escorted into the hospital wing, where they found three petrified girls: Hermione, Luna and - to their surprise - Pansy Parkinson. Her being attacked by the basilisk came very much as a surprise.
Considering that Luna was a pure-blood as well, it seemed that the heir had decided to stop being discriminate with his victims, which was surprising and disturbing at the same time. Parkinson, he guessed, was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.
It was painful for Harry to see his friends like that. They were as stiff as statues and had a look of horrified surprise on their faces. Considering there were not many things that could cause Luna to react strongly, it gave an idea how horrible the basilisk had to be. Granted, Harry knew they would be released from this in less than a day, probably mere hours, but it still was painful to see.
"I wonder how it happened. The teachers are always escorting us to classes. How did they get separated? Why was Parkinson in the castle, since my class was told to wait outside?" Dudley wondered.
Harry snorted. "Knowing Parkinson, she felt it was a good time to sneak in and cause trouble. As for the teacher... our first class of the day is Defense, meaning Lockhart. Imagine him escort almost twenty students to the classroom," Harry told Dudley.
Dudley realized what Harry was talking about. Lockhart's incompetence had become glaringly obvious and his star had sunk at the school. Even students who once had been his biggest fans now thought of him as a disappointing failure. It seemed however, that the man himself was utterly oblivious of how everyone at the school had turned away from him.
"Guys... where is Ginny?" Harry asked when Ron and Neville arrived in the hospital wing, escorted by the Headmaster.
"We couldn't find her." Ron looked highly concerned about the welfare of his sister.
"It was utterly chaotic," Neville then explained. "Lockhart was completely useless as usual in getting everyone to the classroom in an orderly manner. He only noticed Hermione, Luna and Ginny were missing when we told him they were missing after we got a really bad feeling about it."
Harry noticed they mentioned something about having felt something had been wrong as well, but decided that could wait until later.
"The conduct of Professor Lockhart is unacceptable. Be assured that this will have consequences for him," Dumbledore told them, then saw Ron looking at the petrified Hermione. "Professor Snape is already being busy with brewing the potion to revive them. There is no need to worry."
Ron didn't stop looking at the girl's still form. "I know... But I can't help it."
That moment McGonagall returned, clearly being the bearer of bad news. "Headmaster, we completed checking. Two students are missing. Ginny Weasley... and Millicent Bulstrode."
"Millicent? But why her?" Dudley gasped, confused why she of all people had gone missing.
"As much as you probably dislike hearing it, it does paint a rather dire picture. Since Miss Weasley does have unshakable alibis for each of the incidents - and yes, I did check - could the same be said of Miss Bulstrode? Also please keep in mind I'm not accusing her - she very much is also a victim in all of this," the Headmaster asked.
"I don't know about the first two incidents, but Millicent didn't attend the Duelling Club, saying she wasn't interested..." Dudley shook his head, but he couldn't deny it. "Why her? Why send that book to her of all people?"
"That... is the big question. Despite her family's standing in the community, there is no clear reason why she was selected," the Headmaster concluded.
Neville then spoke up. "How were they found? I only remember getting separated from the girls in the chaos due to Lockhart's improper herding us to class."
"We would have to ask them for the details, but considering Miss Parkinson was where she wasn't supposed to be, she probably wanted to agitate the girls. Those three girls were found looking at a big mirror hanging in the corridor leading to the Defense classroom. Perhaps it was quick thinking from Miss Granger that saved them from certain death," McGonagall explained the circumstances.
"But for some reason, Ginny was not petrified, or the heir wouldn't have kidnapped her," Ron added, hoping it was that and not Ginny getting killed and eaten by the basilisk.
"Headmaster, what happens now?" McGonagall asked, being quite concerned not only for the missing girls, but also the consequences this could have for the school.
Dumbledore sighed. "I see no other choice. The school has to be evacuated and the Ministry notified so they send in a security contingent."
"Sir... you know what this will mean. Especially for you," Neville reminded the Headmaster.
"I indeed do. Boys, you are still young, so you haven't learned yet that you can't and don't have to fight every battle yourselves. Trust me that I was not idle after learning what the end goal of this plot is," Dumbledore reminded them.
"Do you think they can actually find Ginny and Millicent?" Ron's mood was strange, simultaneously looking like he could cry in anger and give up in depression. "Even you didn't manage to find the chamber, and I'm sure you put all your energy into it."
Dumbledore gave Ron a sober look. "Sadly, I honestly can't give you a promise."
Harry felt like this was the Headmaster admitting they probably won't see the two girls alive again. "Can we... can we stay with them for a bit until you revive them?"
Both teachers saw nothing wrong with that, especially since Madam Pomfrey was in her office and thus close by. The boys were left alone with their thoughts and part of it only hit them with the silence that followed.
"Ginny... my sister. They act like it's already too late. I know the grief will destroy Mum." Ron suddenly then suddenly spat "Damn it, I can't accept that!"
"But where should we even start looking? The adults tried for years to get behind the mystery where the chamber is, and they had no success," Neville reminded his friend.
Dudley, who up to this point had been silent due to the tormenting realization that he probably would lose his friend, spoke up. "There really is no clue at all? What if the adults tried to look for something specific and missed something that otherwise would be obvious?"
"You mean like all of us could no longer see the wood for the trees?" Neville wondered.
"I only wish Hermione or Luna could help us. They are really good with such things," Ron bemoaned.
Harry tried to think of anything. "The only weird thing I can think of is the question why Voldemort was in Myrtle's bathroom when she died. I... Wait, didn't Myrtle tell us Voldemort used hissing sounds?"
Ron then did remember, as well as the incident during the Duelling Club. "Harry... when you talked to that snake, you also made hissing sounds."
"Harry can talk to snakes?" Dudley wondered.
"Not important right now," Harry quickly said. "Just... Myrtle would surely have heard something as big as the basilisk coming into the bathroom with Voldemort. She didn't. Guys... what if he went there to get the basilisk in the first place?"
"But... they searched the entire bathroom with a fine comb and found nothing," Neville reminded Harry.
"Yes... but... remember she heard him hissing. What if the entrance only opens for someone speaking snake? Apart from Voldemort, no one can do so - well, apart from me now," Harry said.
"I remember them saying that due to all the magic in the stones there, they would have to tear down the walls to look for hidden entrances, something they can't do on a whim," Ron remembered. "What about the scratched snake on the tap that Myrtle told us of? Perhaps Voldemort did that to subtly mark the entrance?"
"This all sounds really weird, guys, but if you think that's a lead..." Dudley was amazed when seeing the three boys put their heads together. "So what now?"
There was some silence, before suddenly Ron stood up. "We check it out!"
"Shouldn't we tell a teacher first?" Neville asked, feeling Ron was about to run headfirst into trouble.
"And then jump through endless hoops before they believe us?! When it already is too late?!" Clearly, his sister's life being at stake caused Ron to show a different side of his. "The only way they do believe us, is, if we actually show them the entrance."
Harry for some moments looked highly conflicted, especially since he had promised not to look for trouble, but then he stood up as well. "I'm with Ron. We need to have something to show to them before they actually believe us."
Dudley stood up as well. "I'm with you."
That left Neville, who looked rather uncomfortable with the situation he now was in. "You guys know that if we are caught, we'll be in heaps ouf trouble, do you? Remember, we promised to stay here." Getting no reply, Neville sighed and stood up. "All right, but don't expect me to do anything that's utterly stupid."
Sneaking out of the hospital wing was surprisingly easy and the corridors were deserted, probably due to the teachers being busy with making sure they got everyone out of the castle. That allowed them to make good progress towards Myrtle's bathroom. In a way it even was quite eerie how deserted the castle was, as the only things they had to avoid was the occasional animated armor patrolling the corridors.
However, their plan hit a serious snag when they almost literally ran into someone.
"Sorry, we... Lockhart?" Ron said when seeing it had been the most incompetent teacher they had almost run into.
However, Lockhart looked quite different from normal - even compared to earlier the morning. His robes were a much less glaring color, his hair looked like it could rebel at any moment and the man himself also looked rather unnerved. Especially damning however was the suitcase, which had fallen to the floor and sprung open, revealing several shrunken-down trunks in it.
"What are you boys doing out here?" Surprisingly, Lockhart right at the moment was missing his usual personality and was speaking rather directly.
"Well, what are YOU doing here?!" Harry accused the man, pointing at the full suitcase. "You are running away!"
"No, It... an urgent call - unavoidable - got to go -" Lockhart tried to say while hastily attempting to close his suitcase with little success.
"Bollocks, you are running away because the Headmaster has enough of you and your antics! Your uselessness caused this newest disaster!" Ron spat, no longer seeing the need for any kind of politeness with that man.
"So that's what the great Lockhart from the books is really like," Harry said, not being terribly surprised by this after months of having to endure the man.
"Books can be misleading. I had no idea when taking the job that it would go like this. It seemed like such a good idea at the time..." Lockhart finally managed to get his suitcase closed.
"So everything in those books is crap?" Dudley asked, also having an abysmal opinion of the man after all those months.
"Oh no, most of it was really done, I only had to become creative a few times. Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I had done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on-"
"So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" Harry said incredulously, his temper threatening to get the better of him.
"Harry, Harry," Lockhart said, shaking his head impatiently, "it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been a lot of work, Harry. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."
He's insane! Uncaring and completely insane! Dudley thought, being highly disturbed by that side of Lockhart.
"You fiend..." Neville hissed in uncharacteristic anger while all of the boys drew their wands.
"Too bad for you boys that you ran into me. I can't risk you talk, but don't worry, in a few moments you'll leave all your worries behind. Everyone will think the heir did it," Lockhart said while drawing his wand.
Realizing that Lockhart was about to wipe their minds, Harry made a quick decision. "Guys, give me power! Protego Maxima!"
That certainly was not something covered in regular Defense class - and most certainly not in the farce that was Lockhart's class. Harry felt he needed to buy Hermione a huge box of chocolates later on for nagging them to learn things that are useful for defending themselves after the whole thing with their heir came up.
Protego Maxima certainly was not covered in the normal course work and a second-year could certainly not expect the same results as an adult, but the usefulness of the spell was, that others could lend power to it. Harry's friends understood right away and touched their wands to Harry's. Dudley had no idea what was going on, but trusted them and did so as well.
Right at that moment Lockhart, who clearly didn't take the visible shield, which was quite reflective and only showed his mirror imagine and not the boys behind it, seriously, shouted "Obliviate!"
-voshhh- Despite looking away, a bright flash still blinded them for a few moments. Then there was silence.
They waited a few moments before they looked and saw Lockhart on the floor, unmoving. Removing the shield, Harry carefully approached the man and then saw the condition he was in. Lockhart was aimlessly staring up to the ceiling and just by looking at his eyes it was obvious no one any longer was home. Him starting to drool only underlined his condition.
"Guys... I, eh, think he flushed his own brain. No one is at home any longer," Harry told them.
"No wonder. He wanted to wipe all four of us at the same time and got hit by all of it," Neville said, realizing why Lockhart was in that sorry condition.
"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," Dudley said, showing his vindictive side. He didn't feel sorry at all for Lockhart - not after learning what the man had done and how he'd tried to empty their brains.
Wasting no more time on the mindless Lockhart, they made a run towards Myrtle's bathroom.
...Myrtle's bathroom...
Finally reaching Myrtle's bathroom, they walked in, still feeling a bit weird they entered a girls' toilet. It honestly contrary to rumor didn't look that different from the bathrooms they used, only lacking urinals and having more toilet stalls. However, that right at the moment was not important, considering their actual task in this bathroom.
"Good thing Myrtle is not in the castle right now, otherwise she would give us an earful about boys not being allowed in a girls' toilet," Neville thought aloud while he closed the door.
Harry did remember that Myrtle's toilet stall was the rightmost one, having been told that on one occasion. Walking to the sink directly across from it, Harry took a closer look at the tap. "Here it is, the scratched snake the girls told us about."
They took a closer look at it and knew the girls had described it rather well. You wouldn't actually notice it unless you were taking a closer look - something you wouldn't do normally. It also clearly was a later modification, making them wonder if Voldemort wanted to spare himself accidentally forgetting which sink it was, or if he did it as a mocking message that no one would find out the secret without Parseltongue.
"So, how do we get it to do anything?" Dudley wondered.
"I guess Harry has to say something in Parseltongue. Something as simple as 'open' perhaps," Ron guessed, then saw the look Dudley gave him. "Look, as far as we knew Voldemort screwed up when he tried to kill Harry all these years ago. Harry didn't want to go into details, but it resulted in Harry gaining Voldemort's ability to speak the language of snakes."
"Weird," Dudley commented, feeling that question could wait until later.
Harry meanwhile tried to do ask advised. "Open!"
Ron shook his head. "English. What did you do the last time you actually spoke it?"
"I actually looked at snakes in tanks to train using it." Harry then thought about it. "Maybe right now I still need to look at a snake to use it? I hope that scratched thing is enough..."
"If that works then Voldemort has no one to blame but himself," Neville remarked, seeing the irony.
Harry looked back at the snake, willing himself to believe it was alive. If he moved his head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving.
"Open up," he said.
Except that the words weren't what he heard; a strange hissing had escaped him, and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank right out of sight, while part of the wall slid up, revealing a previously hidden corridor. A rather short one, as it ended after only a few meters.
"So it WAS here the entire time!" Ron gasped.
Carefully looking into the newly revealed passage, they spotted a pipe going down at its end. "That's the path to the Chamber of Secrets? A slimy pipe? Voldemort honestly doesn't strike me as someone who would go through that," Neville remarked.
"Perhaps there is more to it..." Harry tried to imagine standing in front of a snake. It came easier to him this time. "Stairs."
It did do the trick. The pipe all of a sudden started to widen significantly until it reached a diameter of somewhat over two meters. They then saw a stone spiral staircase complete with central column appear in it, providing a comfortable way down. Now it actually looked like a path down to something of great interest.
"So, that's how he did it," Dudley remarked. That looked much more inviting than the slimy pipe.
Harry turned to Neville. "Nev, you run and find the Headmaster or McGonagall. Tell them what we have found here and make sure they get it, as every moment now counts."
"And... eh, what are you guys doing? Wait up here?" Neville asked.
"Crap, no!" Ron said, looking quite determined. "We scout ahead down the stairs, regardless how insane that is. The girls could be dying down there right now."
"I thought it was just finding the entrance?" Neville looked like he wanted to argue any further for a moment, but then saw how determined Ron and Harry looked and nodded. "I'm on my way!" He then ran out of the door.
"We must truly be insane to do this... Duds, if you want out, now is a good moment. We won't think any less of you," Harry offered Dudley.
Dudley certainly was tempted, but then he remembered that Millicent was down there. "No, I come with you."
Wondering what they were supposed to tell the adults should they get out of this in one piece, they descended down the stairs into the unknown.
o
"Is everyone being accounted for?" the Headmaster asked McGonagall when she joined him near the entrance to the castle. All students had been sent back to the guest house and were told to stay put there. Though everyone knew in mere hours they would be told to pack as the school would be closed.
"Yes, minus the two missing girls, the three petrified girls and the four boys keeping them company, everyone is accounted for," she reported, then sighed. "So far has it come now, Albus. I can only hope that whatever you are planning to prevent Malfoy from getting the Board to relieve you from your office does work."
"Have faith, Minerva. I know exactly what means he's using and thanks to me not being blindsided by it, I can indeed counter him." The Headmaster then looked to the horizon. "Not that it matters for me personally. Should serious harm come to these two girls, I will resign on my own and name you my successor."
"Albus, you..." McGonagall knew he had been serious about that last year as well, but to hear it again...
Dumbledore took off his glasses to wipe them. "I know, many will say I could not have prevented it, that it was outside of my influence. However, my failure to actually find the chamber is what resulted in this disaster. Though factually I'm not directly responsible, I still see myself as such due to my own failures."
Even after knowing him for as long as she did, McGonagall still was impressed by this attitude. In the past she had on occasion told Dumbledore that he was a bit too sure about being in the right and seemed to think he always got everything under control. His now humble attitidude didn't come out of nowhere however, as she had watched him become like that over the past decade.
She knew there was little hope to see these two girls again, so it was pretty obvious what was going to happen. "It won't be the same without you..."
"I know, but that is a fact of life. No one is around forever and Hogwarts will go on without me. After all, I think some of my predecessors thought themselves to be irreplaceable and yet things continued after they were gone," Dumbledore explained.
While he was correct, the thought was a bit depressing for McGonagall.
Their discussion however was interrupted when someone ran through the entrance gate - someone who was not supposed to be there. McGonagall sighed when seeing who it was. "Mr. Longbottom, do you have any idea dangerous it is to walk through the castle alone right now? Why have you left the hospital wing?"
Normally, such a scolding would have made Neville listen. However, right at the moment however he couldn't care less about such things. "Headmaster! Harry... Harry discovered the entrance to the chamber!"
There was silence for a few moments, both teachers looking like they got caught on the wrong foot, before the Headmaster asked "Explain, Mr. Longbottom."
"We... we were discussing the heir and why Voldemort was in that bathroom when Myrtle died. We speculated that perhaps the entrance is there and only someone with snake-speech can open it, so we tested it out," Neville explained.
"So all four of you broke orders and left the hospital wing..." McGonagall sighed. Considering the high-stress situation, she would not punish them for that.
Neville didn't even stop to think about their violation of orders. "It actually is there! When Harry spoke in Parseltongue, a part of the wall opened up and revealed the path to the entrance!"
"Who would have thought? It was there the entire time and all of us overlooked the obvious, that it would take someone with the gift of Parseltongue to reveal it." While Dumbledore felt better due to there now being something they could do, he also felt bad that he had missed that obvious connection. "I'll rally the teachers. That's not a place for students to go to."
"Eh, you see..." Neville looked a bit nervous. "They did go down there."
Now both teachers did look shocked. "Are these three boys insane?!" McGonagall gasped, now looking sick with worry. "Albus, rally the teachers! Even that loss Lockhart! We have to follow them to make sure they won't endanger themselves!"
"I'm already sending out the call," Dumbledore said, weaving a spell unknown to Neville.
"Eh... Lockhart is not available," Neville admitted, then saw the questioning looks. "We literally ran into him while he was making a run for it. When we confronted him about his cowardice, he openly admitted that the majority of the stuff in the books - that which was not made up - was done by others and he took their credit by erasing the memories... He wanted to do the same to us."
"That man..." McGanagall growled, looking ready to kill Lockhart. "Where is he?!"
"The corridor from the great staircase to Myrtle's bathroom... drooling a lot." Neville now saw the questioning looks the Headmaster gave him. "We put up a strong shield and his spell reflected back on him. We think his whole brain got flushed."
"Oh, too bad. We had already collected quite some evidence of his misconduct. Fallen onto his own sword." The Headmaster then produced a silvery phoenix with his wand and gave it instructions. The construct then vanished into the wall. "Madam Pomfrey will pick him up. I implore you to stay here until she gets to you as well."
Neville nodded quickly, realizing it wouldn't be smart to annoy the Headmaster right now, while the other teachers were running up to their position, clearly having gotten the message that the chamber had been found.
o
"Downright eerie down here," Ron commented while looking at the tunnel they were walking through.
After a long way down the stairs had ended in a spacious tunnel. In the light from their wands the walls of the tunnel looked downright spooky due to the fact that over the past 1000 years leaking-in water had created bizarre rock formations on the stones of the walls, while stalactites hung from the ceiling. The ceiling also didn't look too stable as well.
"Yes... almost like out of a horror movie," Dudley agreed while the boys walked further down the dark tunnel.
All three of them knew what they were doing was insane, but right now they didn't care. They also didn't care that should they get out of this alive, they surely would be in a heap of trouble. Right now they only cared to get the girls away from Voldemort - whatever form he was in now - and the basilisk. They hoped that Neville could convince the teachers, since reinforcements would be nice.
"You notice the puddles on the floor?" Ron then said while taking in their surroundings. "Considering what the tunnel looks like, we must be under the lake and its water is leaking in. Not to speak of the rat skeletons littering the floor."
Harry right then saw something at a bend in the tunnel. "Guys... look at that!"
They did look and wished right away they hadn't. The object Harry had seen turned out to be shed snake skin in the color of poisonous green. That thing had to be at least twenty feet long, probably more. That thing was the first hint how big the basilisk truly was, but Dudley then remembered something from biology lessons at school.
"Guys, don't snakes only shed their skin when they grow? That means that monster probably is much bigger by now," he told them.
"Cripes," Harry cursed, but they gathered their courage and pressed on.
The tunnel took a few more bends before ending at a massive , tall metal gate the height of the entire tunnel. Two entwined snakes were engraved on in, their eyes being represented by emeralds embedded in the door. If not for the seriousness of the situation, they would have said aloud that Salazar Slytherin had went overboard with the snake decorations, turning it from artful to tacky.
Ron noticed faint steps in the distance. "Looks like Neville managed to alert the teachers. They are coming." He then looked at the gate. "Hm, no handles. Maybe you have to tell it to open?"
"I'll give it a try." Harry eyed the engraved snakes wearily. "Open!"
Indeed, it did work. The massive gate parted and both halves slid into the walls to reveal the actual Chamber of Secrets behind it.
The chamber was quite huge when looking at it, their ceiling being lost in the darkness above, sind the chamber was not very well lit. Two rows of thick stone columns stretche from the door up the the far back wall. Coiling snakes were not only carved into the columns, but big metal snakes also emerged from them, the green fire in their mouths lighting the chamber.
The back wall was dominated by a giant statue of an old, bearded man hewn out of the rock. The man's face had some monkey-like features and was most likely a monument Salazar Slytherin had made to himself. The effect of the statue however was partially lost due to leaking-in water having flooded half of the chamber, submerging it partially.
All of that however was not registering to the three boys when seeing the two girls lying on the floor close to the edge of the flooded area.
"Oh crap!" Dudley gasped. All three boys didn't think to wait for the adults, running into the chamber to get to the girls.
Running towards the girls, they could see that while Ginny was bound and gagged and had clearly noticed them, moving a lot and trying to say something through the gag, Millicent just laid there, holding something in a death grip in her hands.
"Damn it, Ginny, stop wiggling around or we can never get this stuff off you," Ron cursed while trying to release the knots in the ropes holding Ginny, while Harry at the same time tried to release the knot of the rope that held a big cloth ball in Ginny's mouth.
Dudley meanwhile held Millicent, noting how pale she looked. She also was unconscious and nothing seemed to rouse her from whatever that book had done to her. Speaking of the book, Dudley saw it in Millicent's hands, proving she indeed had been the one holding on it for some reason. Dudley felt really helpless when looking at the pale girl, who looked like she was slowly dying.
Finally, Harry had managed to open the knot. Ginny wasted no time shoving the cloth ball with her tongue before spitting it out. Coughing a few times, she gasped "Watch out... it's a trap!"
"Precisely!" a male voice suddenly laughed from further between the columns - a high-pitched laugh that was instantly alarming Harry, since he felt he had heard it before. "Close and lock!" then was hissed in Parseltongue.
They could only look in horror how the gate started to close just when the teachers were running towards it.
The teachers were too late when mere meters before them the gate slammed shut - just when they had already seen the children.
Hagrid took one look at the gate, then ran towards it and slammed against it shoulder first with all his power, hoping to break it down. However, apart from a loud impact sound the gate didn't give an inch. "I don't like this! They are locked in there with that monster and the gate is massive, not to speak what kind of enchantments could be on it!"
"Whatever you do, don't use things like explosion spells to break it open!" Professor Flitwick warned, pointing at the ceiling. " The ceiling is unstable and something like an explosion could cause everything to collapse onto us!"
"We also shouldn't risk apparation. Slytherin surely put up safeguards against that," McGonagall added, not wanting to imagine the condition of someone who would try anyway.
Dumbledore meanwhile took a closer look at the massive gate and also touched it. He then frowned. "We have only one choice; we have to use combinations of spells to slowly cut through the gate. Filius, quick, we have to find the best spots where to start."
"Yes... we have to find the weak points and start cutting from there," Flitwick agreed and started to study the gate together with the Headmaster.
Slughorn on the other hand was looking at the gate with a strange expression. "Horace, is something wrong?" Professor Sinistra asked.
"It's just... As a lifelong Slytherin I heard all about the chamber and now to stand in front of it... It is horrible however that it has to be under such nasty circumstances," Slughorn admitted.
Sinistra understood all too well. She also had spent her school days in Slytherin - in her case by keeping her head down - and thus heard all about the Chamber of Secrets. She had always dreamed of using the chamber for a benevolent purpose in order to cleanse it form the horrible things Salazar Slytherin had planned with it. Now however the chamber was threatening to take the lives of five students.
Inside the chamber meanwhile, the children were bracing themselves for a confrontation.
Ginny was by now free of her bindings and despite being terribly frightened by her ordeal - enough that she had barely stopped form wetting herself - she was trying to stand her ground. Thankfully, for some reason - perhaps due to overconfidence - her captor had not thought about taking away her wand so she was holding it firmly despite knowing her magic probably wouldn't be enough.
Dudley had picked up Millicent - quite a feat considering she was almost as tall as he was - who was still holding onto the book like her life depended on it, and had stepped behind the others, considering he couldn't draw his wand with his hands being full. He also looked like he really wanted to be anywhere else, since whoever was approaching had to be trouble.
Ron for his part tried to look brave, but that only was a front. Since all of them knew who the heir was, Ron had a very good idea who it was that was walking towards them from the darkness, even though that should be impossible. After last year's confrontation he had dreaded a repeat and now it would happen far earlier than feared. Holding his wand tight, he listened to the steps getting closer.
Finally, Harry was highly nervous, even though he tried to hide it. He knew that the person approaching them had to be the heir... as impossible as that was since they had seen what Voldemort currently looked like. Pointing his wand at from where between the columns the steps were coming from, he gathered his courage and call out to whoever that was.
"Show yourself! You have numbers against you!" He hoped it sounded confident, but it was pretty obvious he did not entirely believe his own words.
"Empty threats. They always give them, which is rather boring."
While the voice was soft-spoken and downright casual, the emotion behind it was ice-cold. These simple words told them that whoever this was, he would no show any mercy to them.
Finally, the person stepped into the light and everyone was taken aback at the sight. It was a teenage boy about sixteen years old, were old-fashioned school robes like they had seen in photos from Hogwarts classes decades ago. He actually looked surprisingly handsome, if not for the look in his eyes, which was outright evil. There was no doubt this guy was dangerous. Also... he seemed to be not entirely there, as if being transplanted into reality. It was highly disturbing.
"Who the hell are you?" Harry finally asked, raising his wand.
"Oh, come on Harry, you are certainly not that dumb. Perhaps you are in denial?" the teenager laughed, his laughter sending shivers down their spines. "I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle, tough I despise that name with every fiber of my being."
Now they finally got who that was, despite how impossible that seemed. "You- you are..." Ginny stammered, realizing who had kidnapped her.
The teenager looked very pleased with that reaction. "Yes, indeed. I am Lord Voldemort."
to be continued...
Next Episode:
"The Heir of Slytherin, Part II - Deep Under the Castle"
Notes:
Here the notes.
Ah, finally we get to the meat of the problem, but I decided we first did need more worldbuilding. I thought it would be interesting see see Lucius working behind the scenes and it also gave us a good impression of Mr. Nott.
I also decided to show more of the MI-X working, since I wanted to give more of an idea what they are doing. It also gave me the chance to start to work on a highly cringe-worthy idea from book 4.
And of course Lockhart's fate is sealed, but too bad that Lockhart himself won't be around to feel the impact. I also really wanted to show off the accidental magic of the twins and Diane being more annoyed than anything with these displays (imagine how stressed she would be without knowing!).
Of course bad luck strikes and the book is gone again. I felt since everyone is smart enough, that Dumbledore would put together the pieces. In the same way, they boys did put the needed clues together to got to Myrtle's bathroom to check it out.
I hope I managed to make Lockhart look even worse than in canon. I mean, here he has nothing against turning the boys into vegetables. His fate thus is pure irony.
And the chamber. Funny, they do want to involve adults, but Voldemort of course has something against that...